Range finder for rifles



ammfi KUUWi 33-252. OR 2 520,072 SR g- 22, 1950 M. F. THACKER 2,520,072

RANGE FINDER FOR RIFLES Filed Jan. 5, 1948 v IN VENTOR.

Nam/m [7/7/ 1 can? ATI'U R N EYS Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES Ski-\KUH HUUM PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a range finder adapted for attachment to telescopes and rifles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a range finder which can be easily attached to a telescope or rifle and which includes an= arm which can be adjusted or hinged to an extended position or extended to a position where it is out-of-use and parallel to the rifle barrel and wherein the adjustments for the different distances can be made along the same by sighting the gun on the target and with the other eye sighting a bead on the target, the reading being taken from the location of the particular bead which is found to coincide with the target by the opposite eye.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a range finder which will give instantly the distance in yards to one using a rifle, which is of simple construction, easy to adjust, inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the range finder connected to a rifle barrel.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the barrel and looking in elevation upon the range finder in its extended position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional and perspective view, in enlarged form, of the range finder arm and with one of the indicating elements thereon, the view being taken generally on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a collective view of the indicator construction.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking down upon the top of a rifle barrel and upon the range finder attached thereto with illustrations made thereon to indicate how the range finder is used with the rifle.

Referring now to the figures, I0 represents a rifle barrel to which my range finder, indicated generally at H, is attached. This range finder includes separable clamping parts l2 and [3 which 2 indicators formed with fingers 23, each of which having a bead tip 24 at one end and an internally threaded hub 29 having flat sides on the other.

'These indicators are locked in place on the arm [9 by a screw 25 which, as shown in Fig. 3, pass through the indicator hubs of the fingers 23 and are threaded into lock nuts 26 formed with hubs having flat sides 3| and which extend into the slot or openin 22. Each of the lock nuts has a flange 28 adapted to be drawn against the face of the arm as the screw 25 is tightened. The indicators 23 can be adjusted to different distances along the arm and will indicate different distances. Accordingly, discernible targets are set up at distances of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards. The indicators 23 are set up respectively on these targets.

In operation, the rifle is placed on a steady rest and the rifleman assumes the usual sighting position and takes a bead on the target, previously set up at 100 yards with his left eye closed. The rifleman then closes his right eye and at the same time opens his left eye with which he will observe that the target has advanced to the left along the top of the range finder. Without moving the rifle or his eyes, the rifleman reaches up with his left hand and moves an indicator 23 either to the right or to the left along the arm until the bead 24 of the indicator is exactly on the target as observed by the left eye. He thereafter tightens the lock screw thus making the indicator immovable. With the target distance being at 100 yards, the rifleman will now have an indication on the arm such that he can measure 01f a 100 yard distance. Thereafter, the rifleman will set the other indicators on other known distances. Accordingly, the indicating elements will be fixed upon the arm l9 and the range finder can now be used on targets where the distances are unknown.

With the rifle and the range finder the rifleman can now determine the range of a target.

The rifle will be pointed upon the target and then the right eye will be closed and thereafter are shaped to fit about the sides of the barrel the target will be observed by the left eye over and to be tightened thereon by a nut l4 acting upon bolts [5. A spring [6 is provided on each bolt l5 and is disposed between the clamping parts I2 and I3. On the part I2 is a hinge formation the indicators. If it so happens that the target can be found in direct alignment with one of the indicators, the range will be readily determined. However, if the target does not appear exactly on H to which an arm is pivotally connected as inone of the indicators, the indicator element comdicated at l8. The arm is shown at l9. This arm has a scale 2| thereon and also an elongated slot 22 extending throughout the length of the arm.

ing closest to the target should be used. A few yards variation would not matter because any rifle which would be used would not have enough bullet drop for such a short distance as to cause On this arm there are disposed a plurality of 66 a miss.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a range finder for firearms, the combination which comprises a mounting clamp for securing the finder to the barrel of a firearm, a range arm having an elongated slot therein and extended substantially throughout the length thereof hingedly attached to one side of the mounting clamp and positioned to extend laterally from the barrel of the firearr a ndfalso to nest against the adjacent side suriace o tlie'sjawbafrel, a plurality--of indicators including fingers having beads on offebf-theends-thereof and internally threaded hubs with flat sides on the opposite ends positioned on the face of the range arm with the hubs thereof extended into the slot of the arm and with the fiat sides of the hubs retaining the fingers with the beads on the ends thereof extended beyond one edge of the range arm, locking screws having knurled heads threaded through the hubs of the fingers and extended into the 'in adjusted positions by the locking screws.

MILLARD F. THACKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 752,962 Eby Feb. 23, 1904 1,625,060 Storm Apr. 19, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,469 Great Britain 1906 292,579 Germany 1916 

